SRAM XX1 Eleven Speed Drivetrain - First Look

SRAM’s XX1 eleven-speed cassette and single-chainring drivetain has been whispered about for almost a year, but few have actually seen a complete one in the flesh. The heart of the new XX1 ensemble is an 11-cog cassette that uses a new freehub interface developed at DT Swiss that allows for a tiny, ten-tooth cog on the small end, while sporting a mammoth, 42-tooth aluminum cog on the other. Driving the cassette is a single-ring crankset with carbon fiber arms and a tiny four-bolt aluminum spider. The XX1 X-Horizon rear derailleur uses SRAM’s recently released type II roller-bearing clutch for maximum chain control, with two additional features: A lever that locks the pulley cage forward to facilitate wheel changes, and an offset cage pivot that keeps the upper guide pulley closer to the small cogs as the derailleur moves across the cassette. XX1 is a completely new system, with its own chain and dedicated shifter (trigger or Gripshift), and while it may appear to be a radical change among the sport’s more conservative members, its actual release represents the logical evolution of a grassroots single-ring drivetrain movement that began in earnest a decade earlier. In fact, the question that most riders will ask after riding XX1 will be, “Why has it taken so long for the industry to figure this out?”

Why Bother With 1 x 11?

SRAM’s XX1 solves three once-insurmountable problems that nagged single-chainring drivetrains - with 11 perfectly spaced gear ratios that match or exceed the range of present three-by or two-by drivetrains; with the introduction of the type-II derailleur’s one-way clutch that controls chain slack to prevent tossing the chain due to rough terrain; and with carefully engineered tooth profiles on the chainring that ensure the chain will engage the sprocket and remain secure at the wide input and output angles inherent to single-ring drivetrains as the system is shifted across the cassette. In addition, SRAM incorporates a quick-change chainring option for the XX1 crankset that allows XX1’s overall gearing to be easily modified without removing the crankarms.

Potential Benefits of XX1

By eliminating the front derailleur, XX1 gives frame designers extra space in the crowded bottom bracket area to enlarge tire clearance and to shorten the chain stays. For 29er designers, this is a huge benefit. For trail riders, the elimination of the left shifter supercharges gear changes by allocating the task to one hand and one part of the brain – and it makes the left side of the handlebar a logical place for a stand-alone remote dropper-post control. For vanguard suspension designers, the empty space on the left handlebar can be used for remote damping or lockout controls, which would dramatically uncomplicate bikes like the Scott Genius or Cannondale Jekyll. For most of us, however, XX1 promises to boost performance by giving us the correct gear we want with one shifter. Eliminating the classic double or triple shift, just to get to the one gear we need, is reason enough for a 1 by 11 drivetrain. Reducing weight and simplifying the drivetrain is icing on the cake. The following is SRAM’s official XX1 press release - RC

SRAM XX1 One by Eleven Drivetrain is Official

SRAM XX1 was built with a dedicated 1X drivetrain philosophy - making it simpler, lighter and more durable than any other. No matter where you ride, no matter what you’re up against: SRAM XX1. Unstoppable.

Single-Minded Pursuit

Driven by a cutting-edge, single-ring carbon crank and seamless component integration, SRAM 1X drivetrain delivers flawless chain management and faster, more precise shifting. But the relationship between XX1 components goes far beyond fitment. From the X-HORIZON rear derailleur with TYPE 2 technology to the super wide range 11-speed 10-42T cassette, each component is designed to function synergistically with the others, achieving what no other 1X drivetrain has before. (Available October 2012.)

This rear derailleur’s “horizontal parallelogram” design limits all movement to the horizontal axis, which makes ghost shifting impossible while also reducing shift force. For quicker, more exact shifting, the large upper pulley offset design maintains a constant chain gap across all gears.

XX1 CASSETTE

First of its Kind:Ranging from 10- to 42-teeth, the 11-speed X-DOME delivers an incredibly wide gear range while maintaining even, optimized steps. The single-unit cassette combines with the XD driver body for a superior connection to the wheel.

Powerful Connections:The XX1 chain represents the latest breakthrough in a long line of precise, light-weight chains from SRAM. It’s designed to deliver the greatest strength and reliability to a drivetrain that doesn’t have to make compromises for front shifts.

215 Comments

From the comments responding to new equipment that is not compatible with current standards, it seems that many pinkbikers are resistant to change. "What we have is good enough." Seems to be the reply of many. Honestly, the rest of us are okay with your being satisfied with what you have. We love riding with you, no matter what drivetrain you choose or new technology you boast.

But I just want to say, "I'm in." This product seems to offer a ton of positives. I might wait for a bit to see what the reviews are. It may take me a while to save up the money, or to jettison my Enve/I-9 wheelset so I can use the 11-cog cassette, but I give props to Sram, Shimano, and every bike company that offers advancements in our sport.

Haha, instead of saying that most pinkbikers are against change, I think you meant most people that bike are against change and it happens every time a new tech is released. I'm with you though, this looks so promising especially for all mountain ripping. Although I haven't tried out a 1x10 set up yet so I can't compare, it does have a lot of good ideas that current setups don't provide.

It seems very interesting indeed. Obviously most resistant MTBers ears will begin to prick up somewhat when the more affordable X9, X7 and X5 level versions of this type of group begin to trickle down and become available. Really like the idea behind the chain ring, and it seems great that MTBing is very much becoming its own sport, more distinct from MotorX and Road cycling (with its own specific tech etc rather than bastardised versions of the previously mentioned styles).

From a marketing standpoint, the moniker XX1 seems a bit odd, given as XX clearly referred to the first official 2x10 groupo (obviously XX=20), whereas XX1 seems to imply 21 (7x3??? ) Although given SRAM's current naming system X1 would put it at the bottom of SRAM's groups even though it doesn't already exist. And by the same token I guess X9, X7 etc don't fit but follow their own logic.

"What we have is good enough." that's because community tired from the derailleurs, there's no new radical technology in everything manufacturers put on a market today. Yea, it's better, lighter, faster, smoother, prettier, but... it's the same derailleur. People just wait until one comes up with a genial simple idea (and i believe it exist) how to completely change the principal. So it'll be worth of buying for a majority of riders.

Mountain biking is not stuck in a rut with technology evolvement, but any advancements are good, although I think they should completely move on from the usual derailer design to something internal this is still a step in the right direction for enfuro and trail riders..I think they should switch it up.. One ring at the rear (bmx style 9 or 8 tooth) and rings at the front...then can re-degsin wheels with flanges wider apart making them far stronger and room for weight reduction

I love that thing! Please more of such stuff and I mean it. It is actualy simplier than what we have these days. Thumbs up SRAM for that. More of simple less of electric!

And to all to you whining on new stuff, and those defending the thesis that progress is just good: in Gordon Gekkos words: "greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind..."

i just dont see why we need to change the freehub to drop 1 tooth, the 11 is fine and then maybe we wouldnt need new wheels (if youve been watching road youd see campy 11 works with normal campy freehubs, shimano made a new wheel configuration so nobody wants it)

I have been waiting for this, I don't think 11-speed is necessary, I could get by with 9, just need the 10-42 span, i wouldn't mind the slightly bigger "jumps" in gearing. The key to this wide range is the rear derailleur. Would be nice if they had a 10 or 9 speed version that was compatible instead of needing a whole new drivetrain, but at the same time I get it, it was designed as one to work specifically with all the new parts. I really like the offset teeth to fit the chain like a glove, just wish the chain was 9 speed strong.

I totally agree although I am slightly biased since I have been a believer in the 1 speed up front for some time now. I started with the 1x9, then transitioned to the 1x10 when sram released that and now I am fully looking forward to the 1x11.
It's so nice not having to worry about and maintain the front derailleur. Plus I shaved off 1lb just by getting rid of the front derailleur and shifter and that's a lot of weight shaved off for free.

@mikeserafin: yep. Degree in Design engineering. Seeing Eleven and people getting exited about a product with very little substance...

Look at a hiperf engine with its archetypical cam, chain and chain tensioner. That is how its done. Chevy does it on its Small block for 50 years. My Vortex has run 200 000 miles and chain and cogs look like new.

My Shimano 600 has done 25000 miles and it looks brandnew.

Eleven will do 1000 miles and surprise - will not hold the chain anymore because teeth are ground down, clutch is worn, chain is lengthened.

Srams clutch, funny tooth, tinfoil chain and the chain running at a constant angle to tooth. This is crap engineering to limit life of the parts and marketing wants eleven gears to up Shimano.

lol I have this useless 10-speed on my new dh-bike forcing me to completely change almost my whole drivetrain to go back to 9-speed. My next one will probably have 11 speed. WTF? Sram? I hope companies like Pinion put this rip-off hype-marketing to an end. I bet that in 2014 they will come around with a new standard which makes the old stuff obsolete and you have to buy new wheels, new frames and stuff.

tear it all off and sell it i have been riding 1x9 since i began riding.. even on my xc bike.. it aint a new or their idea..with a 36 up front and a full mtb casette your good to go.. no need here for a 10t cog aswell..

I like it that SRAM is the first to release Enduro racing specific drivetrain When are we getting a Enduro racing specific fork? Something between Lyrik and Totem? or maybe Revelation and Lyrik? At the same time I'm eager to see a 34 Rev. Bos got it just right two years ago with DeVille, there's plenty of options but I'm sure that FOX and RS will release race specific stuff will be just that special and completely different, just for those racers who look for the winning edge. I can see it already: Trek Slash Race carbon, Santa Cruz Nomad ENc, Cannondale Jekyll EN. Vivid Air EN?

Those are two upcoming big things: Enduro racing specific bikes and components, and all sorts of electronic versions of current stuff. It is an amazing opportunity for the industry with Enduro, much bigger than 650B which I think might be a miss, 29ers have confused enough people. Enduro will be their goldmine of 2012-2015, electronics seem to be the only really different way forward for XC racing, as soon as 29ers will settle in for good (daemm you Jose Hermida! You stubborn fool!) - do we need it? - Maybe, but I think No. Do they need it - oh so definitely yes!

I totally agree with c25porter: I think a 1x9 version of this would be awesome!I wouldn't need to change wheels and with the design of the chainring and rear der. I could ditch the front shifter, der. AND chainguide

This response is pretty interesting and some pretty good points and stupid shit has come out of it (ie. "Why would you need 11 gears on a DH setup? 3-5 are plenty.") That's like saying "those new carbon aero forks aimed at time trials really isn't suitable for DH and is therefore useless!" Maybe you need to watch the vid again and realise what kind of riding this group is built for.

By the same point, IIRC, SRAM are responsible for the Specialized DH racing team's 6 speed cassette with a 10T cog and THEREFORE a much smaller front chainring, which, unless I'm much mistaken will be available on the 250 S-Works Carbon Demos. I mean OK, it's not made available (or even applicable) to everyone instantly but it's a start. The point being that it's unfair to say that this 11speed groupo is progress for the sake of itself and that SRAM are unaware of DH rider needs. Ironically I'm having to say DH a lot for an article that never mentioned the discipline.

A more prescient point, the Alloy chain ring; if there is not shifting going on, on the front, then surely there would be no need for a Steel one, and there is a weight saving to be made there. But perhaps the movement caused by the chain shifting on the rear would be enough to cause wear on the front. I'm not sure.

If you want a super wide ratio you can use all this new 11 speed stuff in the back combined with a 10 speed double or triple in the front. The 11 speed chain will work fine on 10 speed chainrings. You could climb anything with a 22-427

Would be cool if they madea Hammerschmidt that was compatible with this, though maybe it already is?

Oh, My, F*ck. Not everything is designed for use on DH Bikes!! Jeepers people. There are more than one type of bikes out there. I highly doubt this will come specced on any DH bikes off the shelf so you don't need to worry about it.

@protour, The 11 speed chain will most likely not work fine on 10speed chainrings. Without seeing much tech info on it I would assume it is thinner therefore not fitting on 10sp chainrings. I think one of the reasons this wide range on the back works so well is because of the shaped teeth on the chainring. If you tried changing that out I don't think it would hold the chain. Just my thoughts.

It is for Enduro racing bikes! New formula in MTB racing, that transforms a regular AM rider into a racing badass. A silent warrior from nowhere can finaly unleash his hard earned combination of fitness and technical skill, that he will use as an advantage over both XC and DH racers! AM riders waited for it for years! Possibility to open bike forum and say: I think enduro bikes are better because you can start both in XC and DH on them and still get a good place - YES!

In before "OMG ANOTHER STANDARD"In before "IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT NO ONE FORCES YOU TO BUY IT".In before "OMG INSANE MSRP".In before "OMG NOT ANOTHER DERAILLEUR".In before "WHAT ABOUT 1x6 THAT'S ALL WE NEED".

I'm expecting at least 200 replies to that article, you guys better not disappoint!

When they say you don't need a chainguide, that's because it won't work with one. That fancy rear derailleur design means it won't work with a chainguide or a front derailleur. That same design also works in conjunction with the alternating tooth profiles to keep the chain on however, so a chainguide would become redundant anyway.

The benefit of a 2x9 or 2x10 or any 3x system to quickly increase your gear by shifting at the front is going to be slightly lacking. Its a nice feeling to be able to flick between high and low in one click rather than 4 or 5

I already ride a 1 x 10 set up. I love this idea. My Giant Reign suffered from dropped chains. By switching to to a widgit and and 10 speed setup I got ride of weight and solved the dropped chain issues. I think this is great. More options for the front ring ( I spin mine out quickly on down hills) and greater gear range in the back.

I'm already thinking of my next rig to buy in a couple years. Intense 27.5 with a 1 x 11 drive train. Awesome.

Im with you on the chain statement, my concern with this is the chainrings and the chain itself. im all for a wider range and better chain line but i just dont trust the chains, destroyed far too many running a 9speed setup, making it thinner and cutting holes in it ? no thanks. As for chain slap run a stinger guide or similar, it works brilliantly. if not do you really think the clutch idea wouldnt work on 9 speed ?

People will probably moan and say its evolution of the sport but if cars carried on like MTBs we'd be running about 60 gears by now.

Yes 2x9 has overlaps but it works and bloody well. If you have problems with a front der' learn how to tune it properly. The problem with this moving forward is it makes all the people that have spent ages getting their rigs sweet to have to go and mess with it again because theres no quality 9speed parts available when you damage something, and im sure when 12 speed turns up all the poor gits on 10 speed will have the same issue.

If cars had to operate at a tiny range of rpms like our legs, they would have 60 gears by now.
Personally, I'm pretty stoked on this. Not because it has 11 speeds, but because of the range it offers for a 1x system. I've been running 1x systems for 3 years now with 32-36t front rings. 10 speeds cassettes work great for it, but there are times where I feel like 1 easier gear would be nice for climbing and 1 larger gear would be nice for wide open stuff. The 10-42 cassette will cover that and more. Props to SRAM for it.

well by that theory the tiny little 1.1 engines we have over here should have like 7 gears then rather than me having to rag the nut off it at 4.5krpm in 5th to hit 75/80. why dont they use more gears? its because it becomes more complicated, fragile and a shed load more expensive to look after.

Im all for a better gear range but adding more gears makes everything weaker. what happens if you smash that ring on a rock ? with all that machining you knows its gonna be £50 to get a new one. that versus like £15 for a standard shimano middle or £25 for something like a DMR saturn. How long is a cassette that fragile gonna last ? to me this seems great for true XC nuts and they can have all the gears they want, but if you wanna go out and rag it and come home without a silly repair bill stick with 9/10 speed with a bash and pedal a bit harder.

Id rather them spend more time figuring out how they can make a wide range smooth with 9 or so gears.

The 1 x 10system's adjustment is already finicky enough with just the slightest bent hanger or worn cogs causing real problems with unreliable shifting. Now the cogs are going even thinner , so... imo, it's gonna get even worse. Sram, however ,should be raking it in with all those replacement cassetts. Cynical?? Yes!!! Wrong??? I doubt it. Hope I'm wrong.

@Jaydmf, The reason the shifts are not smooth on wide range cassettes with a smaller number of shifts isn't the shifting it is the actual difference between each sprocket. The change in pedalling speed is too great to feel smooth. That's why road bikes have 10 speed but only like 11-28, so that every gear change is small enough to be barely noticeable.

Yes i understand it wouldnt be the smoothest thing in the world but i refuse to believe that they couldnt make a 36/38 - 11 cassette or similar for 9 speed. any body remember the original mega 9 cassettes? i never had any probs with those and they had a huge jump up to 1st why not offer the same concept? in my eyes less gears = simpler, wider (stronger) chain, less complicated (cheaper both to manufacture and buy) parts and a lot less cocking around. But thats just my 2Ps worth

With new advancements like this every few weeks I'm completely devoid of desire to upgrade for the sake of upgrading knowing that it'll likely be obsolete tomorrow. It's yielded the best result of all: I'm free of my incessant upgrading and now just ride the piss out of my gear until it falls apart or breaks. Now I never replace anything unless it no longer works, and new replacement stuff works great until I repeat the process with the latest and greatest. It's a win-win!

And how is this innovative? Look how long guys have been running 1x setups. And a 10T-42T cassette, is the MTB crowd really getting that soft? for 2014 there will be a 9T-44T cassette I bet. I will stick with my primitive 1x8 and single speed setups.

I would say it sucks but... what i have sucks i would take this anyday its wicked cool and looks BA but i dont have the money for it and there for im fine with what i have because i know it works and that i cant afford to spen money on that when i would rather save for a new bike insted.

36 front 10-42 rear... i can go anywhere with that kind of single ring gearing, get good chain ring clearance for those bigger log overs & still grab chain on the downhill. i could put my gamut back on! this winter is gonna be sweet!

I am curious about the precision of shifts over time though. It sounds like there's a lot riding on the various thickness each of the cogs require. Will this create manufacturing problems? What about lower cost stamped parts-does that make sense?

Im excited for this. I truly believe you will see a new shape to the entire industry change because of this. You will see 29ers changing a lot as this becomes more widely adapted by other manufacturers. You'll see more bikes like the Kona Honzo a bike designed with a chainstay shorter then a lot of 26ers due to its 1x9 ONLY drive train, and with the added bonus of a larger wheel. Cant wait to see how this changes the MTB world but ill wait for the x5-x9 version so sprout up.

I REALLY want to hate this, but it is pretty cool, the derailleur is genius, and that cassette is beautiful, but I still dont understand why they couldn't make it work on a 10spd system. As far as the price i wouldn't even want to know, but I'm sure there's more then a few guys out there that think it will make em faster and they'll shell out the big bucks, as for me ill save that money so i can actually afford to ride.....

I think all this sounds fantastic - but it should be taken with a pinch of salt as (other than a short intro) it's produce by Sram copywriters, backed up by a Sram video. Was it ever going to be anything other than persuasive? It all looks good though, especially the new derailluer. The only thing I think they missed in the design was keeping the derailluer inside the frame dimensions ala shadow. Wide range of gears? Yes please. Stable drivetrain? I'll take two! The perfect solution? No way. I think this will be an improvement, but I just don't hate my current highly evolved and super crisp transmission to be interested in another even more refined version.

First I ride trails like once a week soo this technology isn't very economically practical for me, however it sounds like a good Idea because when you use multiple front gears alot of gear ratios are repeated or are very similar and are just unnessecary but having one gear up front will mean every gear is different from the last. The only problem I see is that because of how the derailleur sort of acts as a chain guide taking that away might allow a bump in the trail to throw the chain of and nothing to guide it back on.

I put off getting the 10 cog and I am glad I did. How crappy would I feel if I bought a 10 speed setup last week? I think I'll hold off another couple years and when the dust settles and the 1x12 speed is in hot competition with a new type of gear box (something like a hammerschmit with 20 gears) I'll look down at my 2x9 and shrug again. I'll upgrade when I buy a new rig and it comes with an upgrade already attached.

Although I gotta admit this looks cool, so does a hammerschmit type gearbox with a bunch more gears.

I've been running 1x9 (30lb Rip9) and now 1x10 (Superfly 100) and I'll never go back to two rings up front. I run a 34t with 11-34 in the back and a MRP 2x chain guide. It works really well, but chain slap is a problem. The chain will drop after a crash or when backpedalling in a certain gear, but never under normal riding. I hate to be negative, but this system is way overkill and going to confuse a lot of people. Another new "standard" for wheels? Really? There's way to many now and we need to start worrying about the freehub body? The only way this system makes any sense is buying on a complete bike, but only after it's been proven in the real world for over a year. I had a SRAM cassette that rounded off at the freehub. What a POS! This system looks to do the same thing. Bike builders don't need this system to go 1x, they only need a new Shimano Plus RD and chain guide. All the other improvements are novelty. Drivetrains should be going internal allowing hubs to widen and wheels to strengthen. "X-Dome" Are they kidding? This alone shows that it's all marketing hype and not worth the money. I do agree the spandex strava wankers will eat this up.

Depends on what components your on about really, brakes shimano win for quality and build, but things like shifters it's just preference to whether you prefer shimano feel or the way SRAM feel. And the. Things like cranks, well there's no real argument unless you go to weight war its just style preference and I prefer shimano which is why I'll wait

hmmm. i think i like the idea, but riding in scotland with all the grime here, would be very worried about chainring wear. is it going to be more of a problem with specific teeth for each link (yeah i know only 50/50 ..not every tooth) ? my heart says it will be more of a problem. glad they dropped the bottom cog to 10, the gear range must be massive.

not wanting to blow trumpets here, but am always amazed athow many folk use 2 or 3 ring setups, i went to a single ring about 12 years ago and raced xc races and did well, even representing my country in the world firefighter champs in italy (though i did get my ass wooped there). i have still yet to find a hill that i couldnt cycle up with my 9spd 36 front 36 rear setup. (used to run 8spd 38 fr 34 rear) only time its been an issue is with bald tyres or wet ground.....but then you see everyone around you in skinny gears wheelspinning anyway due to the high torque. lol even my road bike doesnt use the granny ring...but then i dont live in the alps lol.

In the future, when internal is dialed and derailleurs are a thing of the past, we will look back and laugh hard at that 42 tooth cassette. But I'm a big fan of wider gear ranges so I like out, despite the weak chain.

its utterly amazing to see technology like this coming through especially in sort of ten years MTB has really really changed.....but i think this concept is getting to its limits with standard derailleur ideas..... i think the awnser lies with gearboxes in the future ...all that needs to happen with those is they need to be made smaller and lighter and add a few more user friendly features like easy servicing and readily available parts and a standard frame mount design ... but i dont recon this will take off for a few more years yet :/

That X-Sync idea is all very well and good, but I bet a fair few people would run this with the chain mis-synced (if you will) by accident. I also would've thought that a 40t chainring option would have been given, not sure why it wasn't. That said the 10t cog and the fact that its a dedicated 1by driveshain are great.

i thought the same, but the chainring teeth with that sort of cross profile looks like they could only fit between the space of the outter links. thus eliminating the possibility for ''mis-syncedness'' (if you will)

We need innovation but is this really it? I can see narrower cogs,chains and wheel profile. which is all gonna mean less strength and durability possibly worse indexing! Why dont they put some of the r&d money into making an eleven speed transmition?

Today I tried combining this new 11 speed SRAM rear drivetrain with a 10 speed triple crankset with 10 speed SRAM chainrings and an 11 speed chain. Everything worked great, some rattle in the big-big but thats normal. In the small chaining, a 24, you could only use a few gears cause of the chain slack but that is all you need.
This will be a sweet setup for all day all mountain rides, or the super-super steep climbs. You could actually use a 22 in front on the triple for a 22-42 climbing gear, almost a 1 to 2 range, unheard of! Wait till you feel how easy it is!

i though i was the only one who rides with only one chain ring cuz i see more poly functional using only one and there is no need to use 2 or 3 if u have 9 cogs for use ,for sure it could end in chain brake o more use in the system but thanks to sram that is definitely on the past and its only money question so i probably will gonna use one of this in the near future

Looking forward to trying this even if I can't afford it! Nice to see bike companies pushing new tech be it good or bad we learn so fast what works and what doesn't and end up with something like this On another note in the video at 1:15 is it just me or is that Arnold Schwarzenegger speaking?

I like the idea very much.Currently using the Deore 12-36T 9 speed with the 12 changed to a 11T.

Now.... the down side(s), not discussed by SRAM, would be great if their video gave some re-assurance.

The cassette type will wear out if you use the 10-16ish teeth rings, and as it is thin being an 11 speed, it will wear quickly, when it wears..... you have to buy a new cassette (ouch).The cassette 40T interfaces to the freehub body, the load is spread from there to the 10T and back down the body of the cassette (but not all the way).The current 9 speed XTR 11-34T will eat a freehub body with ease, so what will a 40T do which will have a far higher loading!

i am all for new technology and component advancements, but there needs to be a stop to the excessive no. of speeds companies are adding, i mean 11 speed, really? it's silly and excessive (especially in downhill, 1x6 in the monster-specialized team looks to be the way forward).

keen, i hate front derailleurs. definitely think this will be the future, adding a lighter cog on the back and taking away the heavier chainring, also no chain device needed will make things lighter i believe? specially after after more years or so of advancements of the technology.

This entirely unnecessary arms race in more cogs in the back is resulting in thinner and thinner chains! Recall the Mont Saint Anne DH; people were breaking chains left and right, a totally unprecedented thing. Reason; they're all on new 10sp chains. The growth of cog count is creating the perfect storm for the likes of Pinyon to flourish! I don't see a need for more cogs than what I currently have with 9. I want a fatter chain or a belt to go with my internal transmission!

Interesting. Aside from the unsprung weight there's another thing to consider here- torque input on the hub. Already seen 29er hubs blow up from running 36t cassettes and 32t chainrings. There's a lot more torque with that 42t, and a lot more of an arc being cut before hub engagement, even on hubs with 7degrees or less. I trust they built their hubs up to match the input loads, but I surely hope that any other hub manufacturer that jumps on board with this program tests the heck outta their hubs to insure they won't self distruct on a hard shift.

I run a 1x10 on my 29er. I've fought chain drop many times, constantly trying a different set up to end this issue. I have finally settled with MRP Lopes guide and took 2 links out of the chain. So far so good, tho I am still slightly nervous being in the lowest gear. It is a pretty large offset from the ring up front and I couldn't even imagine having the option to go one more lower. I'm sure SRAM has done their homework to alleviate this as an issue and I'm sure buying the complete 1x11 "kit" will work way better then my SRAM derailer/Cassette, RaceFace chain ring, MRP guide "homemade" set up. Tho, I'm not sure if I have found the need for all those gears.

I understand why roadies want small jumps in gear ratios, and so run tightly spaced cassettes.... but there's no reason why mountain bikers need to be stuck with the same thing. Just give me a 8 speed 11-14-17-20-24-28-32-37 cassette at a reasonable price and weight and i'll be perfectly happy.

There are millions of people who'd disagree with you. Just because you don't like twist-shifting, doesn't mean others won't. No where but here on pb, are there so many people complaining about sram offering ten speed twist-shifters. Personally now that shimano is trickling 9 speed down to the Acera level group, I'm looking forward to them offering a 9sp version of their Revo twist shifters.

Serious question, how does the rear mech deal with chain growth on rear suspension machines, surely that moves the top jockey wheel in relation to the cassette, or isn't the movement enough to cause a problem?

1x9 with 32x11-32 gearing is what I'm on (trail bike). Great for SoCal, want a little more for Colorado's steepness. Riding this until something explodes or wears out. As hard as I try my mid cage X-9 rear derailleur has survived what three derailleur hangers have not.

"Whatever happened to reducing unsprung weight at the rear of the bike?"

Well the original poster seemed upset over such a small amount of weight so I figure I'd show him what 18 grams looks like. Assuming this is a MOUNTAIN BIKE site, I figure there would be at least a few people here that have previous experience in handling herb... just trying to better show the weight to you guys, settle down.

scripps, I don't think there's many people out there who would know that off the top of their head... so no, it was still easier to image search "18 grams of weed"... and wildwood, I don't think that'd be smart. He's probably been told that if he smokes it, he'll jump off a building thinking he can fly. ITS ALL TRUE! REEFER MADNESS!!!

A few grams of mud on the tire will play a bigger difference in the handling of the bike and suspension than a 60 gram increase in cassette weight over the XX unit (which is already so expensive that only sponsored riders and the very rich will ever own one anyway). That's something people on here seem to be forgetting with this new group... its an offshoot of the XX group... it is NOT going to be cheap. We're talking a couple thousand dollars for the whole package. The cassettes alone will run probably $250 to $300 each. $100 chains, etc.

Really? And you base your thinking on what exactly? The XX group currently costs $1829 from jensonusa and the XX cassette alone is $395 it turns out. So I'm revising my guess for the XX1 cassette upwards... it'll be $400 plus. This group is a whole lot of proprietary stuff, including you need a new rear wheel so even without a front derailleur or front shifter... i'm sticking to my $2000 price as a minimum.

I figured at least 2k also. XX isnt much cheaper. You save the front shifter/derailleur but they'll use the "novelty" factor as an excuse to bridge the gap.

I just finished building my bike with a 2x10 setup. I'm finding the issues that comes with 2x10 extremely annoying but I'll go 1x10 on my current 11-36 cassette and get stronger legs loooong before I shell out 2k+ to save the hassle.

I know, I know. I can already hear that I'm reticent to change and that its not because I don't want to buy it that no one else will... But 2k and a new rear wheel?

Although I truly like the idea of a wider gear range on a 1x10 setup, I'd be ready to drop a lot more money on one of those gearbox frames before I drop 2k on a victorian relic drivetrain with a new twist.

I'd love to believe that they're trying to push the technology but to me it looks like a poorly concealed attempt to milk some money from us once again.

However... 32-42 is only is a little harder than 24-32, and 32-10 is only a little slower than 36-11. So the the 32T chainring gives the XX1 a very nice range, similar to 24-36T x 32-11T (2x9), for example.

why a wider hub ? You could have a slightly narrower hub and a slightly longer freehub ?My 135mm hub at present is spaced for 142mm and has a load of wasted space either side, this could be where the longer freehub comes in... just a thought

I meant, more widely spaced spoke flanges. Gives a better angle on the spokes, in the case of a rear wheel, means that the spokes on both sides can be at the same angle etc. and basically means a much stronger wheel.

f*cking f*ck -- IT'S ABOUT GODDAMN TIME! To hell with the chain slap, slap, slapping away... Unfortunately, this also means I won't be able to see the idiot spandex-ers barreling down around blind corners, eyes down, while clipped in on a two-way trail, trying to Strava their 'best result ever'. Shall we mandate that this is only available for those loyalists who have been rocking a single ring up front for years? Kidding.

Hell yeah... 1X always and forever. I'm still trying to find and unramped 30T or 28T for my local hilly singletrack. All I can find is 32T so Sh*t yeah I'm happy to see those front chainring options!!!!